Clock mechanism



Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,532

M. PlClOTTl CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Jan. '2 1922 I' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1?. Rama,

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ba. 30, 1923. PlClOTTl ZC LOGK MECHANISM Filed Jan. '7 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITN E5558 1 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

MICHELE PIGOIOTTI, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

CLOCK MECHANISM.

Application filed January 7, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, MICHELE PIGCIO'ITI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clock Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clocks and has special relation to electrically operated clocks.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an electric clock which will operate with a minimum amount of current, so that cost of operation will be materially reduced.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel construction and arrangement of mechanism, wherein the saving of current is made possible, the mechanism operating for an appreciable period under the momentum of the pendulum, while current is supplied only at spaced intervals.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a time mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention.

' Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the wiring diagram.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the mechanism is shown as including a frame, which comprises spaced plates 10, connected together by 'bars or rods 11 and capable of being suitably supported within a housing or casing (not shown). The mechanism further includes a gear 12, which is mounted upon an arbor 13 having hearings in the plates 10, the said gear being designed to provide means for driving both the minute and hour hands (not shown), the former being mounted upon the arbor 13. Also mounted upon Serial No. 527,716.

this arbor is a pinion 14, which engages and drives a gear 15, the latter having secured thereto a pinion 16, which drives a gear 17. This last mentioned gear is mounted upon a sleeve 18 which is rotatable upon the arbor 13, and which may have connected thereto the hour hand.

For the purpose of imparting motion to the gear 12, there is provided a drive wheel, which is indicated at 19 and which is provided with teeth for engagement by a dog 20. This dog is pivotally mounted at the lower end of an operating arm 21, the upper end of which is secured to a rock shaft 22, mounted in bearings at the upper ends of spaced arms 23, extending from the plates 10. i

The invention further includes a pendulum 24, the upper end of which is connected between spaced spring members 25 which are located at the outer end of an arm 26, the latter extending from a suitable support 27.

Also secured to the rock shaft 22 is one end of a connecting rod 28, the opposite end of the said rod entering a slot 29 provided in the lower end. of the pendulum 241.

By this means a swinging motion of the pendulum will operate the rock shaft 22, so that the latter will in turn operate the arm 21 and through the dog 20 impart motion to the drive wheel 19 as the pendulum moves in one direction, the said motion being limited to the space of one tooth of the drive wheel. On the return movement of the pendulum, the dog 20 will move pivotally to ride over the tooth for engagement with the next adjacent tooth, so that the wheel 19 is rotated step by step.

The pendulum 24. is electrically operated and for this purpose there is provided a pair of electro magnets 30, which, when energized attract an armature 31. This artion 33. The opposite or lower end of the armature 31 has extending therefrom a spring arm 34 which is located in the path of movement of thependulum 24. The

pendulum 24- carries a contact member 35, which is in electrical connection with a battery 36 or other suitable source of current supply, through the medium ot a conductor 37. The arm 84 is connected to the electromagnets 30 by means oi? a conductor 38, while the magnets are in turn connected to a spring contact arm 39, by means of a conductor a0. Spaced from the spring contact arm 39, is a spring contact arm ll, the latter being secured to one of the plates 10 and grounded on said plate, as indicated at 42, while the battery 36 is also grounded on this plate as indicated at 43.

Mounted upon the shaft oi" the drive wheel 19 and insulated thereit'rom, it a otatable member ll, whose oppositely extending arms are adapted to engage and bridge the space between the spring contacts 39 and all so that current may flow through the latter.

The drive wheel 19 is provided with a laterally extending pin 19, which engages the teeth of the gear 12 once during each revolution of the said drive wheel and will move the gear 12 a distance of one toot-h. As an example of the operation, the gear 12 which operates the minute hand of the time mechanism contains 60 teeth and moves a distance of one tooth for each minute, so that it is necessary for the drive wheel 19 to make 60 revolutions to one complete revolution of the gear 12. The drive wheel 19 and the gear 12 are engaged by spring arms 45, which frictionally hold them against accidental rotation.

In the operation of the invention, motion is imparted to the pendulum by manually moving it from side to side. This motion of the pendulum will operate the wheell9 and its shaft and through the latter the contact member ll. As soon as the arms of this member engage the contacts 39 and ll, which is for an appreciable length oi time, due to the resilient character of the contacts 39 and 41 and as soon as the contact engages the spring arm contact 34L, during the period of engagement between. the member 4% and the contacts 39 and ll, current will flow from one side of the battery through the onductor 87, the contacts and 3a, the conductor 38, into the coils of the magnets 60. The magnets will thus be energized and the armature 31. attracted and moved in a direction toward the pendulum. This will force the pendulum over or in a direction away from the spring contactarm 3%. As soon as contact between 3% and 35 is broken, the flow of current will be interrupted and the magnets 30 be energized, so as to release the armature 31. Current from the magnets when the circuit is established, will flow through. the conductor 40, the contact members 39, 44: and 4:1 and through the grounds 42 and 43 to the opposite side of the navasae battery The magnets will be energized each time the contacts B l and 35 engage during the engagement of the member l i with the contacts 39 and ll, but as soon as these last mentioned contacts are broken, no current can flow through the electromagnets 30, so that there will be no movement of the spring contact arm l-l and the pendulum will swing under its own momentum for the operation of the drive wheel 19. This momentum is su'tlicient to continue the operation of the drive wheel until the latter has rotated a suiiicient distance to again cause the arms oi the member ll to engage the contacts 239 and ll, which is something less than one-half of a revolution. As soon as arrangement of these members is effected, the magnets will be again energized, each contact of the spring contact arm 34; and the contact member serving to energize the magnets and cause the spring arm 34: to move the pendulum.

The invention is susceptible of various changes .in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:-

l. The combination with a time mechanism including a pendulum, gearing and means operated by the pendulum for oper ating the gearing, oi? an electromagnet, an armature operated thereby, a combined spring arm and contact member carried by the armature and included in circuit with the magnet, a contact member carried by the pendulum and also included in the circuit with the magnet, whereby the latter may be energized to operate the armature and impa motion to the pendulum. and means including a rotatably mounted circuit inter rupter operated by the time mechanism gearing, whereby the circuit through the magnet may be automatically opened at stated intervals and for an appreciable period.

2. The combination with time mechanism including a pendulum, gearing and means operated by the pendulum for operating the gearing, of an electromagnet, an armature operated thereby, spaced contact members included in the circuit, a combined spring arm and contact member carried by the armature and included in circuit with the magnet, a contact member carried by the pendulum and also included in the circuit with the magnet, whereby the latter may be energized to operate the armature and impart motion to the pendulum and means including a time mechanism gearing operating contact arm mounted for rotation between and engageable with the spaced contacts, whereby the circuit through the magnet may be automatically interrupted at stated intervals and for an appreciable period.

3. The combination with a time mecha- 5 nism including a pendulum operated gearing having a drive Wheel, of electrically oper ated means for imparting motion to the pendulum and means operated by the drive Wheel of the time mechanism for interrupting the flow of current to the electrically operated means at stated intervals and for an appreciable length of time.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

MICHELE PICGI TTI. 

